Label affixer



P. GRABLER Dec. 19, 1933.

LABEL AFFIXER Filed May 7, 1952 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES LABEL AFFIXER Peter Grabler, Rocky River, Ohio Application May 7, 1932.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to label aflixers, such as are used for applying small labels to various devices, such as to small packages containing soap, powder, or other toilet supplies, perfume bottles, or even for applying postage stamps to mailable matter and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved device of this kind which handles the labels in stacks with the labels arranged flatwise or in parallel superposed relation in the stack, and which enables the labels to be applied repeatedly and expeditiously with full certainty of adherence through the entire area, which avoids accidental discharge or loss of the stack or any part thereof, which retards flow or progressive movement of the stack so that only the exposed end label is removed or separated in the label applying operation, and which device is capable of use as a hand device or as part of a more fully organized mechanism, as will more fully appear hereafter.

, Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawing, which. represents one suitable embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a detail sectional elevation on the line l-1, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in section, showing a loading device; Fig. 4 is a detail sectional elevation, on a larger scale, on the line 4-4, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view on the line 5-5, Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view, corresponding to Fig. 5 and illustrating another form of the device; Fig. '7 is a front elevation of the loading device.

While the present device is referred to as a label affixer and is adapted for applying paper labels, it will of course be understood that it can be used for any purpose involving the application of a paper slip, card, small sheet, or the like, to another surface, including the application of postage stamps, revenue stamps or other devices, all of which are hereafter referred to as labels. The device shown in the drawing is arranged for hand use,but of course maybe part of a more fully organized structure, in more or less machine form, as will be readily understood. As illustrated, it

comprises a magazine or chute member 1, which is a hollow or tubular member of any suitable length and made of any suitable material, such as relatively thin sheet metal. In cross sectional shape, as'shown in Fig. 5, it conforms to and is shaped to more or less closely fit the edges of the labels, one of which is shown at 2.- Said labels are made of paper, pasteboard or any other Serial No. 609,900

suitable disc, sheet, wafer, or other flat form, the several labels being stacked in superposed parallel relation, as shown. The labels for use with this device are supplied in such stack form, and a stack thereof is inserted into the magazine from the upper end in the manner shown in Fig. 3.

The magazine is of uniform shape and cross section from top to bottom except as follows:

From its upper end downwardly for a reasonable distance, say half or more of the full length, two or more opposite walls of the magazine are pressed or bent outwardly, as at 3, to produce bulges in the form of longitudinally extending outwardly projecting relatively wide flat ribs. This arrangement forms recesses or cavities 4 inside of the magazine to relieve the friction on the stack of labels and enable the stack to flow or progress more readily toward the discharge mouth, Where the walls are further deformed, as

will appear. The ribs 3 also provide opposed flat surfaces, extending longitudinally and adapted to receive the pressure and friction of the arms 5 of a U-shaped or yoke like member, made of spring steel or suitable material with inherent resiliency and secured by a screw 6 to the outer end of a follower member '7, which may be a plain wooden or metal bar of rectangular cross section corresponding in shape to the labels, and which follower is inserted into the upper end of the magazine so that its advance flat end applies pressure. to the stack of labels, as shown. The middle portion 8 of the spring like member, joining its two arms 5, is held by the screw 6 beneath a head 9, the screw head being counter sunk so that the upper surface of the head may be rounded and smoothed off for application of the palm of the hand thereto in operating the device. With the palm of the hand applied to the head 9, the thumb and fingers extend down along the side of the instrument for application to the spring side arms 5, and with downward pressure applied to said arms at the outwardly extending finger portions 10 thereof, as will be readily understood.

At the mouth of the magazine, where the labels are ejected one'by one, means is provided for retarding their progression, the means shown for the purpose being a series of inwardly extending short ribs or projections 11, formed-by pressing the metal of the walls of the magazine inwardly, as shown. These ribs extend longitudinally for a short distance at the mouth and may be dis -v tributed around the edges of the magazine with one or more ribs on all or a part of the magazine walls, the arrangements for the purpose differing in accordance with the shape of the label. For example, Fig. 5 shows an arrangement for a rectangular label with two ribs on each of its opposite walls and one rib on each of the other two walls, While Fig. 6 shows an arrangement for a hexagonal label, with one rib on each of the six walls.

The device described is adapted for use in the application of various types of labels. One method of label application involves the use of previously gummed labels, the gum being dry and made adhesive by the use of water or some other moistening agent. Such labels, stacked fiatwise, are inserted in the magazine as shown in Fig. 3, and the moisture is applied either directly to the label or to the article to which it is to be amxed. For example, the instrument can be applied endwise to a moistened pad or sponge and the wet label then applied to the article, or the article itself can be moistened and the dried label applied to it. Ungummed labels can also be applied to surfaces which are provided with gum, by the application of moisture either to the label or to the gummed surface. Also, the device may be used in connection with labels supplied with what is called live gum, to wit, an adhesive which is more or less permanently flexible and which will stick to almost any surface, but which admits of pulling off the label with its live gum, leaving no trace.

In all of these cases the device is grasped in the hand with the palm applied to the head 9 and-with the fingers and thumb applied to the spring arms 5. By pressing endwise on the device and applying it end on to the article to be labeled, the hand pressure is applied thr ugh the stack to the end-most label and the follower and the spring arms 5 slip downwardly along the magazine a very small amount, sothat when the device is withdrawn the end-rncst label applied to the article is peeled or stripped from the stack. The spring arms 5 are strong enough so that there is material frictional clamping effect upon the magazine and no tendency for accidental force applied to the follower to eject the whole stack, or a material part thereof, which is due also to the retarding effect of the ribs 11} The stacl: flows more or less freely through the main portion of the magazine but those labels near the ejecting mouth are held back by the ribs 11, which are shown in more or less exaggerated form in'the drawing, but which crease the sides of the stack and not only hold back the label stack but also more or less break the stack. so the individual labels separate easily from the end. If this device is applied to the work in cooked or askew position, but one label at most is ejected. Moreover, when one label affixing operation is concluded the device may be laid aside on the table and the stack remains at rest in the magazine undisturbed by any tendency for the labels to come out.

Figs. 3 and 7 illustrate a loading device for the magazine which may be used if desired, although its use is not essential. t comprises a device something like a of sugar'tongs, with a pair of narrow arms 12 connected by a looped spring handle 13, the metal being cut and bent to form inwardly extending flanges 14 which serve as stops. The arms 12 are slightly narrower than the cavities 4 within the hollow fiat ribs 3. In loading the magazine a stack of labels is inserted between the arms of the tongs and backed up by the stop flanges 14, in the manner shown in Fig. '7, and the stack so held in the tongs is then introduced into the rear end of the magazine in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The cavities 4 may be slightly deeper than the thickness of the metal of the tong arms 12, so that the latter may be readily withdrawn from the magazine, leaving the stack of labels held therein by the friction of the stack on the walls of the magazine. The follower can then be inserted and the label stack advanced by it to the position shown in Fig. 1, for operation in the manner described.

What I claim is:

1. A label aflixer, comprising a tubular magazine adapted to receive a plurality of labels stacked flatwise, said magazine in cross section being polygonal with a plurality of walls joined at longitudinally extending corners, the walls of the magazine being shaped to closely fit and correspond to the stack of labels,.and longitudinally extending inwardly projecting rib means on the inner surfaces of the magazine walls near its mouth adapted to retard progressive movement of the labels.

2. A label aiiixer, comprising a tubular magazine adapted to receive a plurality of labels stacked fiatwise, said magazine in cross section being polygonal with a plurality of walls joined at longitudinally extending corners, the walls of the magazine being shaped to closely fit and correspond to the stack of labels, and a plurality of longitudinally extending inwardly projecting rib members distributed on the inner surfaces of the magazine walls intermediate the longitudinally extending corners and near its mouth adapted to retard progressive movement of the labels.

' 3. A label afiixer, comprising a tubular magazine adapted to receive a plurality of labels stacked fiatwise, the walls of the magazine being shaped to closely fit and correspond to the stack of labels, longitudinally extending inwardly projecting rib means on the magazine walls near its mouth adapted to retard progressive movement of the labels, and a follower in said magazine provided with hand operating means.

i. A label ailixer, comprising a tubular magazine adapted to receive a plurality of labels stacked fiatwise, the walls of the magazine being shaped to closely fit and correspond to the stack of labels, longitudinally extending inwardly projecting rib means on the magazine walls near its mouth adapted to retard progressive movement of the labels, and a follower in said magazine provided with friction means engaging the same.

5. A label afiixer, comprising a tubular magazine adapted to receive a plurality of labels stacked fiatwise, the walls of the magazine being shaped to closely fit and correspond to the stack of labels, longitudinally extending inwardly pro-. jecting rib means on the magazine walls near its mouth adapted to retard progressive movement of the labels, and a follower in said maga zine extending outwardly from its rear end and provided with forwardly extending friction arms embracing the magazine and applied to its outer surfaces, said arms being provided at their for ward ends with finger members. V

6. A label amxer of the form described in claim 5, in which said magazine has portions of its walls pressed outwardly to provide outwardly extending rib portions on the outer surfaces of its opposite walls lying beneath said friction arms, and longitudinally extending cavities on the inner surfaces of said walls adapted to receive the arms or" a loading device.

PETER GRABLER. 

